


Wildflower Crushes

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: The Glumbumble(bee)'s Knees [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Feelings Realization, Gen, Journey, M/M, Post-World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 08:05:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16133135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: Percival Graves rarely questions the decisions of his superiors, be they military or work-based. Just this once, however, he finds something in an old friend that makes him question everything.Companion piece to Castle Towers





	Wildflower Crushes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [steampunkepsilon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/steampunkepsilon/gifts).



> My Percival Muse showed up and invited himself into my WIPs, that's all I got for you. 
> 
> Enjoy~ 
> 
> **CAVEAT: This can read as a standalone if you haven't read Castle Towers. It's not an issue but parts of this will make more sense if you've read it.**

* * *

**-The Magical Congress of the United States, Magical Entrance 34; New York City; August 24th, 1922-**

Percival straightened his tie, swept his hat off of the stand and then Apparated to the side-street right as the backfiring Model T motorcar cracked. He tapped the brick sequence to enter MACUSA, his outer robes giving him a respectable look as they settled over his shoulders. 

Aurors hastily saluted at the sight of him, the surprise in their expressions giving way to acceptance. 

He gave a brief nod in acknowledgement before continuing his path upward. The moment the sole of his shoe hit the top stair, Madame President Piquery rose a censuring blonde brow. "Director Graves, how have you been?" 

"I find myself refreshed, Madame President." The MACUSA staff parted around them, a stream of Abraxians surging around a steady pair of Thestrals. 

"Three months, Percival?" She interrogated after she pulled him into the aide's office before casting Muffliato at the door. Percival locked it out of habit. 

"They were well spent, Seraphina." He responded, unable to surpress the smile that arose at the memory of Newt's tent. "I caught up with a friend from the War." 

She narrowed her eyes and then, "I distinctly told you not to come back until I got tired of your temporary replacement." 

"Sera—" he slipped, their old names for each other darting past the walls set around them. 

"I will _send_ for you. You haven't taken a single leave of absence in all of your years of service with the MACUSA. Three months is not even remotely a trip, 'Val." She fired back with exasperation. "I'm discounting the War because it was most decidedly _not_ a vacation." 

"I am needed here—" Percival countered harshly, only to be cut off once more. 

"Of course you are; it's why I do not want to see an old friend of mine collapsing on the job." Seraphina stressed as she paced. "Would your friend mind your company for another three months?" 

"He welcomed my company and seemed terribly upset at my leaving. He, well, Newt saved my life once. I let him know I was coming, the last time. I could use work as an excuse to..." He trailed off, beginning to pace himself as he scrubbed a hand across his chin. 

"'Val, if he really is a friend, he'd be delighted to see you again, no matter how much time had passed. You do know where he is?" She prodded. 

"Mongolia, last I'd heard from him. He's studying Re'em in a damned yurt." Percival couldn't help the dry tone. "If you are quite sure?" 

"Go before I show you exactly how much my Bat Bogey Hex has progressed from our school days."

* * *

Percival Apparated to the Graves Estate, the austere wrought iron gates opening for him without a sound. It closed behind him but didn't prevent the herd of Thestrals from nosing at his pockets and scarf for scraps of fresh meat. 

"I've nothing on me, sweetlings." He crooned even as he lavished attention on their sharp cheeks and hooked beaks. "I'm just all balled up, hmm?" 

The herd's stallion, a large Thestral by the name of Hades, shoved his way into Percival's hands. 

"All of the foals are weaned so if you need to take him somewhere, he's perfect; both he and Persephone need a good ride." Mama pressed a kiss to his cheek, handing over the meat basket so that he could throw enough away from them to distract the rest of the herd. 

"Are you still trying to get them to breed, Mama?" Percival ribbed as he fed Persephone, their sole albino Thestral, the last few pieces. She wasn't albino in the traditional sense the way most creatures were, being ever so slightly visible to those who hadn't seen death. 

"It would be the achievement of the century if we could get a fully visible Thestral. Hades and Persephone are only the start of a very long process. She'll have to have gotten it from that other herd, the wild one." 

Percival scratched under Persephone's bony beak, chuckling at her soft whicker. Hades shoved against his hand again until Percival's hands were full of happy Thestral. 

Mama shook her head and Summoned the fully-packed saddles. 

"Sera sent word, I take it." He grumbled as Mama cupped his cheek. 

"Be careful, my little Wampus. There are things even you cannot predict." 

"Yes, Mama. I will be cautious." He released the Thestrals and enfolded his Mama in a hug. Her fingers clung to him as his gripped the back of her robes, both of them entirely unwilling to let go. "I'm going to see a friend. I should be back in four or five months, given travel time."

* * *

**-Glacial Magical Community; Greenland; August 24th, 1922-**

Thestral-back was not _glamorous_ ; traveling on any four-legged beast was awful, frankly, and he would like for novelists to quit making it seem so easy.

Percival made his first stop, stumbling off of Hades with his legs as shakey as a new-born foal's. Persephone nosed at him until he clung to her withers, the air shockingly warm after his flight. 

«You're traveling late, stranger, and on beasts I thought I'd never see tamed.» The wizard of the guest house murmured. 

«They're the family occupation. You have a reservation for Graves, yes?» He finally managed as Hades stopped trembling. «They won't bite but I'll take care of them.»

«You're Graves? The cabin's on the right and the stable's close by the back end. Breakfast is at seven thirty.»

«Thank you.»

* * *

**-Glacial Magical Community; Greenland; August 25th, 1922-**

Percival sat alone after gathering his breakfast from the short line of guests, in the middle of smearing jam on rye bread when someone sat in front of him. 

«What, exactly, did you bring to my stable?» She must be related to the wizard or married to him. 

"Thestrals." He answered bluntly as he finished smearing his jam and took a bite. Percival chewed thoughtfully and then revised with, «They're scavengers, mostly, in the wild but my family breeds them for use at academies and schools to draw carriages. You cannot see them if you have not experienced death in a meaningful manner.» 

«Ah. You traveled from...?»

«New York.»

«I'll leave you to your meal then, Mr. Graves.» 

He sent a missive to the boarding house in Dover where he'd stayed before being shipped home to America.

* * *

This time he mounted Persephone, trusting Hades to follow him without a lead. 

The flight from Greenland to Iceland was much shorter, so much so that the second her hooves touched Iceland, Persephone was still full of energy. 

She strained at her beak bit, huffing when Percival dismounted to stretch his legs and scrub the lather off of her. Hades devoured his pile of meat and she practically inhaled it, both Thestrals somehow knowing that they needed to go. 

He mounted again, flying over London at a height that had him chattering his teeth. Percival wouldn't break the Statute of Secrecy if he could help it in the long run, even with the added security measure of Repelo Muggletum. 

Persephone glided into the boarding house's pasture, Percival magically scouring her and Hades before he gave both Thestrals a blanket. With exhaustion beginning to take hold, he levitated the saddles out of long habit and walked to the back door. 

Mrs. Prewett answered with her wand tucked out of sight but still useable. Percival made a mental note not to mess with an English witch after sundown. 

"Oh, Mr. Graves, I thought you'd be here in a couple of hours, not tonight!" Mrs. Prewett fussed at his coat and the frost melting into it. Percival let her, giving her as reassuring a smile as he could manage. 

She'd been a staunch and steady rock during his stay in England. "I'm traveling Thestral-back, Mrs. Prewett. I'm trying to reach an old friend of mine before he moves again. He travels quite frequently." 

"Oh? From the War?" 

"Mm." 

"Settle in, then, I suppose. Breakfast is when you wake, although if you sleep past noon, it'll be tea." She informed him as she levitated the saddles up the stairs and into the bedroom on the right. "Goodnight, Mr. Graves."

* * *

**-Grace's Boarding House; Dover, England; August 26th, 1922-**

Percival managed, through sheer dumb luck, to be out of bed before ten. He padded down the stairs, aching in places he didn't even want to think about after traveling for three days on Thestrals. Standing for breakfast garnered quite a few looks but after a quick word from Mrs. Prewett the other guests let it be. 

Two stared out into the pasture, the look in their eyes letting him know they could see his mounts. 

He internally groaned at the thought of physically mounting either animal. They were tired, he was tired and—

"Knut for your thoughts, dear?" She prodded gently. 

"I know I need to move but I also am aware that I am not a twenty-something any longer." He murmured in reply. "My Thestrals are sore and I am sore; do you mind if I rest here a bit longer?" 

"Oh Merlin bless you, Mr. Graves, of course you can." Mrs. Prewett patted his arm gently and bustled off, leaving him with his thoughts. 

He settled into a very soft chair and Summoned his work satchel. Percival frowned when all it contained was old case files and a cheeky note of a smile attached with a paper clip, a curious No Maj invention that had seen quite the boost in MACUSA headquarters, mostly because Seraphina liked the efficiency. 

Somehow he drifted off in the chair, halfway to dreaming when he heard, "That poor lad, he's traveling top speed to see a friend." 

"I hope she's worth it." 

"He and I suppose so," Mrs. Prewett replied, "seeing as he's anxious to go but logical enough to know when to rest."

* * *

"Mr. Graves?" 

Percival's eyes snapped open, wand in hand and a Stunning spell halfway to his lips when he recognized the voice. He sheathed his wand, shuffled his feet and braced for an indignant lecture from Mrs. Prewett. 

"There's a lad, you're alright. I probably should have let you sleep but its nearing supper and I thought you might like a bit of food." She gave him a small smile, understanding in her posture even as she lowered her own wand. "You may have left the War but the War has yet to leave you, hmm?"

"I'm an Auror, which doesn't help the matter, I think." He answered sheepishly as he sent his satchel back to his room. 

"I suppose not, Mr. Graves. It is alright that I'm calling you Mr. Graves?" 

"I've no objection to it, Mrs. Prewett. It's quite wonderful to be Mr. Graves when I'm not working."

* * *

**-Reserve Office, Beast Division; St. Petersburg, Russia; August 27th, 1922-**

«Did you know that you were violating Russian law?»

«I told you, they're personal transport. I'm not selling them or their parts, I'm riding them to Kazahkstan.»

«We pulled up a Director Graves and a Captain Graves. Which one is you?» 

«They're both me. I served in the War, I'm traveling on personal business on my own animals and I'm _trying_ , for Morgana's sake, to visit a friend.» Percival ground out, his Arctic tone quiet but cutting. 

«What's the friend's name?»

«Sgt. Scamander. He works for—»

«British version of Beast Division. Shoo, shoo. Director Kaidanovsky, at your service, Director Graves. My apologies, they can be... enthusiastic.» Steel blue snapped down to his scarf and Percival bristled. «That scarf is not yours but then again, I suspect that the sweater Newt wore until he left was not his either.»

«Well spotted. May I please go see Newt before he moves?» 

«Of course! Petrin, Oleshin! Bring this man his things. He visits Newt! Why are you still here? Go, go! I am sorry about all this mess.» Director Kaidonovsky freed him and handed back his wand. 

«They're doing their jobs. Not many travel on Thestrals, after all, and a lot of Divisions don't know what they are or how they fit into Ministries and governments the world over.» Percival sighed as he rubbed at his wrists briefly. «I'm going to have to fetch my Thestrals, aren't I?»

«Rare it is the wizard or witch who sees them normally, so yes.»

* * *

"Hades, Persephone!" 

He received two echoing squeals in return, both Thestrals investigating his clothes and his wrists, a terrible snarl rumbling up from Hades. 

"Hades, no. They didn't harm me. Stand down." He barked and the dark ears laid back before Hades huffed out a soft breath. 

«Such names for creatures that most cannot see.» Director Kaidonovsky murmured. 

«They're creatures of death and deserve appropriate names. Hades is rather fond of me; I raised him from a bottle.» Percival replied evenly as he saddled both Thestrals, checking their gerths and tapping their stomachs absently to double-check the fit. «I'll give your regards to Newt.»

«He is alone quite frequently but somehow never lonely; your company will do him much good, I think.» Director Kaidonovsky observed. 

«I can only hope so, Director.»

* * *

**-Lakeside Cottage; Almaty Lake Community, Kazakhstan; August 28th, 1922-**

Hades' hooves faltered as they walked to the cottage they'd sent ahead to reserve. Percival's quite sure he looked as ragged as his Thestrals felt; Persephone was on his other side, her lead loose in his fingers. 

«Hello! Oh my, you've traveled long to be looking like that.» His wand was out before he could draw another breath, the steady line of it following the witch on the open-styled porch. «Relax, Mr. Graves. You're renting my guest room, hmm?»

«Ah. Mrs. Kedryuk, I presume?» He lowered his wand slightly, still wary after his run in with Russian Aurors. 

«Correct. I never thought I'd see the harbingers of death be tamed.»

"Thestrals." He absently corrected in English before switching back. «They're the family occupation.» 

«Ah! You supply Durumstrang and The Boar Academy with carriage beasts. Now I remember. Come, come, rest your head.» She chivvied him along, undoing the saddles and levitating bags of fresh meat for both mounts. The Thestrals clicked and squealed softly as they dug into the meat, obviously hungry and deserving of the meal. 

Mrs. Kedryuk coaxed him into drinking a bowl of soup and a mug of something she called kvass, Percival holding on long enough for a sponge bath before falling into a soft bed. 

He woke several times but eventually rolled out of bed, shuffling into thoughtfully prepared slippers and yawned his way to the kitchen table. 

«I finally see our houseguest and I find myself jealous, little flower. He's very handsome and you did no justice in describing him.» Percival blinked at that and looked over to see a petite woman who was decidedly _not_ Mrs. Kedryuk. 

«Dearest, don't harass Mr. Graves. He's traveled quite a lot and I suspect he's got more kilometers to go.» Mrs. Kedryuk bustled into the kitchen and levitated a plate in front of him. «You slept for a full day and a half and you needed it. Your Thestrals are nearby, I think, and well-rested.»

«Thank you for taking care of them. I'm sorry but did I hear correctly? You called her...?»

«She's the other Mrs. Kedryuk, yes. Do you mind?» the steel behind her soft question made him shake his head. «Wonderful! Now, do you prefer coffee or tea?»

Unbidden, a laughing Newt flashed through his mind. It wasn't necessarily taboo in the Wizarding World, not the way it was with No Majs, but nor was it all that common. 

«... Coffee, if you don't mind.» he replied as he poked at his toast with the butter knife. 

«Bronze piece for your thoughts, Mr. Graves?» The smaller Mrs. Kedryuk inquired. 

«I would rather not share.» he answered stiffly before he sighed, scrubbing at his scruffy face. «I've traveled to see an old friend. I'm finding that perhaps I see him as more than that.»

«Ah.» He growled lowly at the sympathetic tone. «No need to get grumpy with me, sir, you're the one figuring out you're attached to your friend.» 

Percival scowled at his coffee, poured cream and then sugar in by the spoonfuls, grumbled his way through breakfast and then went out to check on his Thestrals. Hades and Persephone trotted out of the tree line, both of them a little too touchy for their normal interactions and Percival threw his hands up in defeat. 

"Oh come on! Stupid feelings, stupid journey, stupid _Thestrals_..." He kicked a rock and sat down on the porch steps, petting Persephone after she laid down next to him and shoved her face into his lap. "What am I supposed to do with them? He's younger than I am, surely he wants someone his age." Persephone gave a rolling click as she nuzzled him, Percival absently pressing a kiss to her nose bridge. "For Hecate's sake, what fool would travel for a week straight to see the man who rescued him?" 

He sighed into her mane, looking out at the blue, blue lake and came to a decision. "Unreasonable as it may seem, that is what my heart wants."

* * *

**-Gobi Desert, Southern Mongolia; Newt's Yurt; August 31, 1922-**

Percival tended to Hades and Persephone, his Point-Me spell letting him know that this was Newt's yurt. 

«Excuse me, who might you be?» Newt's 'neighbor' asked. 

«A friend of Newt's,» he supplied, «I don't suppose you know when he'll be back?»

«He will be out for sometime. Please, get warm in his yurt.»

«Thank you.»

* * *

He woke in stages, halfway in and halfway out of sleep. 

When sunlight crept over his face he protested immediately with, "Hmm-mm. I'm not working." 

He rubbed his face against his pillow, his heart stuttering a bit as he realized who it was as Newt left out a soft huff. Percival cracked open one dark eye, just to confirm his suspicions that they'd wound around one another during the night. "You know, the last time I slept this deeply I was also in your tent." 

"Are you sure you haven't got a bit of dragon in you too?" Hazel eyes crinkled at the corners as Newt ribbed him. He muffled his laughter against Newt's chest, shoulders shaking as he pillowed his head on Newt's shoulder. 

"No, no dragon. Wampus, maybe, but no dragon." Percival murmured as he reached up to card his fingers through Newt's curly mess, hoping to tame the soft curls. He was in awe of how bold he was being; he wouldn't have dared to touch any of his former significant others like this. 

Just what was it about Newt that made him feel so out of control and yet fully aware of his actions? 

"Sadly your hands won't work as a brush. We'll have to get out of bed." Newt snorted wryly. 

"Must we?" He questioned, reluctant to lose the moment. 

"There's tea and toast and sausages in it for you." Newt reminded him even as he pulled away gently. Percival smothered his laughter against the pillow as he heard, "Yeek!" 

"Let me guess; you hit the floor?" He quipped as Newt flopped back onto the bed, long limbs elegant rather than clumsy. 

"Shut it you." Newt shuffled to the door, pulling Percival's black sweater on over his pajama set. 

Part of Percival nearly purred in satisfaction at the sight, the other part fruitlessly beating at his foolish daydreams with logic. 

The journey didn't seem so bad when Newt was on the other end of it.

* * *

Percival's heart was in his throat as Newt skidded under the furious Re'em with a leather pack full of syringes. His wand was drawn, a Blasting Curse on the tip of his tongue when Newt bolted for Persephone, mounting her just in time. 

He wanted to shake Newt and kiss him at the same time, resulting in his offering advice drier than he'd intended to give as he fed Hades and Persephone their rewards. 

Percival watched as Newt enthralled yet another community, wondering, oh-so-briefly, what chaos Newt might cause if he ever dropped by MACUSA. 

He'd enjoy Newt's company, the snorts of magical beasts and the scent of wildflowers that seemed to follow Newt, no matter where he was in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
